Illuminated greeting card



Aug- 19, 1952 w. B. POPE ILLUMINATED GREETING CARD 2 SI'lEETS-SI'IEET 1 Filed June l0, 1946 mom KW ma. W o mw f v /w E .w W.

19, 1952 w. B. PoPE ILLUMINATED GREETING CARD Aug.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed June 10, 1946 INVENTOR. WM5/aw Pop@ BY I v Patented Aug. 19, 1952 y .Y STATE-s PAT-ENT oF FI l t :accrus: 5 I I itnunrnaritb GREgrrNeCaRni.- fvWinslovv-BgPope,DetroiIfMich. I 'Apgii.tiq;.mne]1o, isiaseriaiNamaste;

' This invention relates to. anfillumiiratedgfgreetmyfisreeting card.Y

Fig., isga lsection,along the.: lille. 5-5f oLFg,..4

Figs. 6 and..7 are details ofthe switch which automatically completes the lighting circuit when the cover is removed. Y I Fig.` 8 .is Y.asection` thro-ugh.y anotherfmodied formof my greeting card. I'

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that my greeting card comprises a triangular box member I of ber board, such as paper or cardboard. Box I preferably comprises a single piece of cardboard folded along lines 2 and 3 to form a triangular cross section. The meeting ends overlap and are glued or otherwise secured together as at 4. Box I is also preferably provided with end walls 8. The front Wall 5 is provided with an opening 6 which is closed by a transparency or window 'I of transparent tissue paper or plastic such as Celluloid. The transparent window l has printed, painted, cut-out of, or otherwise fashioned thereon a greeting plus a picture suitable for the season or occasion, such as Christmas, Easter, or ya birthday, for which the greeting is designed. The inner face of the back wall 9 of my greeting is provided with a reflector I9 of tin foil, aluminum foil, or other light reflecting material which also extends across the inner surface of the base I I, passing under battery I2 and bulb I'3, and on up the inner face of the front wall 5 as far as opening 6, thus reflecting a maximum amount of light through the transparent Window 1.

The lighting circuit which is mounted Within the box I and upon the base II thereof comprises a dry-cell battery I2, an incandescent lamp or bulb I3, wires M and I5 and ya switch comprising a stationary contact I6 and a manually operable or rotatable contact I'I having an integral handle I8. When switch contact I 1 is brought into contact with stationary contact I6, the circuit through light I3 is completed so -thatthe light from bulb I3 directly and also reflected by' reector I0 passes through the transparent Window 'I and illuminates the picture and greeting thereon.

In the modified form shown in. Figs. 4 and 5,

tained in sub-base 40. 'I'he inserts are of varying contours and increase in height from window toward transparency 24, that is, inserts 25. 26 and 21 are of decreasing height in that order so as to give an illusion of depth or perspective.

In the form of box shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the structure is identical with that shown in Fig. 4

except that box I9 is provided with a cover 3l)V which closes opening 20. The peripheral flange 3I of cover 30 overlaps the sides o-f box I9. Instead of manual switch I8 with contacts I6 and II, there is provided a spring contact arm 32 anda xed contact 33. The end of spring contact arm 32 is provided with a cam 34 which projects through an opening 35 in a side wall of box I9. Thus, when cover 3l)l is positioned upon box I9. flange 3-I engages cam 34, as shown in Fig. 7, and contact 32 is out of contact with stationary contact l33 and the circuit is broken. When cover is removed, Vspring contact arm 32 engages contact 33 to Iclose the circuit between battery I2 and lights 23 to thereby cause the lights to incandesce and illuminate the greeting as above described.

Thus, greeting card I9 with the automatic` printed, painted, or otherwise formed background 50 which can be viewed through complete opening 6 if not covered, or through the partial cutouts in transparency 1. The reflector 5| in this case only extends from opening 6 on the inner surface of front wall 5 across the inner surface of base Il passing under battery I2 and bulb I3, and on lup the inner surface of back wall 9 connecting with the lower edge of background v5i).

I claim:

1. A greeting comprising a box formed of paste-board sheet material and having a window` opening in the front wall thereof, a light reliecting member comprising a sheet of metal'foil secured to the inner face of the back wall,`an

`the lighting circuit, and means for closing the movable contact and stationary contact when the incandescent lamp between the reector and the.

window, a battery, a switch controlled by means on the outside of said box, and wires.connect ing in circuit the battery, lamp and switch, the battery, lampA and Wires being mountedwithin the .box, anda transparent memberspaced `forwardly of said reflectorand visible throughhsaid windowfopening and `having Va greeting formed thereon whereby when the circuit is completed by closing said switch the greeting will be illuminated. 1

I 2. The .combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pasteboard sheet material is Vfolded along spaced parallel lines to form' a box oftriangular cross section and thedry-cell battery fand llght'ar'e` positioned upon the base of the box oppositethe apex of the triangle and below the levelof -said window` opening, said battery being. positionedsuch that it extendsiengthwise `alog"said base.HV I .y

BLA greeting as described in claim 1 includinga removable cover for said. box, means for cover is removed from the box and out of engagementwith said cam.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said metal foil reflecting member extendsl downwardly along said back wall and across the bottom wall of the box below said lamp and upwardly along the front wall of the box toward said window opening.

, g WINSLOW B. POPE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS l Number Name Date v 2,025,818 Leigh Dec, 31, -1935 2,206,865 David et al. July 9, 1940 2,295,994 n Howe et al. u Sept. 15, 1942 l' FOREIGN PATENTS y Number Country K Date.- j

406,975 France Dec. 18, 1909 777,315

France Nov. 26, 1934 

